PRESS RELEASES & ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEW PROGRAM ALERT!
SAFEHOMES4VETS GRANT NOW AVAILABLE!
August 17, 2020
The SAFEHOMES4VETS (SH4V) grant is available to help disabled Veterans by providing a barrier-free living environment, such as a wheelchair ramps, wider doorways, as well as Kitchen and bath upgrade allowing accessible homes, that affords Veterans a level of independent living they may not otherwise enjoy. Veterans and current service members with specific service- connected disabilities may be entitled to a grant for the purpose of modifying their living accommodations to meet their individual adaptive needs, up to the current maximum of $20,000 for 2020. SH4V grants help Veterans with certain service-connected disabilities live independently in a barrier-free environment. The SH4V grant can be used to increase the mobility of eligible Veteran and service members throughout their residences.
SH4V grants in one of the following ways:
· Adapt an existing home the Veteran or a family member already owns in which the Veteran lives
· Adapt a home the Veteran or family member intends to purchase in which the Veteran will live
Applying for a SH4V Grant The veteran must be registered with Massachusetts Military Support Foundation (MMSFI). To receive a SH4V grant, the Veteran must first have a prescription from a physician or the VA health care system. This must include:
· The diagnosis with medical justification
· The Veteran's name, address, SSN, and phone number(s)
To apply, the Veteran must first provide:
· A completed application
· If a leased or rented property, written permission from the owner.
Following are the types of projects that SH4V grants will pay for. This is not all inclusive
1. Roll-in showers
2. Construction of wooden or concrete, permanent ramping to provide access to the home
3. Widening doorways to bedroom, bathroom, etc., to achieve wheelchair access
4. Lowering of kitchen or bathroom counters and sinks
5. Improving entrance paths and driveways in immediate area of home to facilitate access to the home
6. Construction of concrete pads and installation of exterior types of wheelchair lift mechanisms. Interior and exterior railing deemed necessary for patients with ambulatory capability or for veterans rated legally blind.
7. Improvements to plumbing or electrical systems made necessary due to the installation of dialysis equipment in the home
8. Any cost associated with permits, inspection fees, etc., that are required by local ordinances.
SH4V will not pay for:
· Walkways to exterior buildings
· Widening of driveways (more than 8ft x 8ft area)
· Spa, hot tub, or Jacuzzi
· Exterior decking (more than 8ft x 8ft).
If you are disabled, it is important to feel comfortable at home. Depending on your unique needs, modifications can make a big difference in your accessibility at home. MMSFI promotes independent living for disabled veterans through several programs. Based on your disability, you may be eligible for a SH4V grant to make modifications to your home.
FOOD4VETS PROGRAM TO PROVIDE MEALS TO VETERANS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND MAINE ON MAY 4 AND MAY 6
May 1, 2020
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – For the past four weeks, the Patriots and Revolution have teamed with the USA Veterans & Military Support Foundation to provide “vital food packages” to veterans, military families and veteran service organizations. These packages contain non-perishable foods and nutritionist-developed recipes to provide three meals a day for two people for 14 days.
Since the program’s inception, more than 1.4 million meals have been assembled and distributed to veterans in need. The food packages have been available for pick up at six different locations across Massachusetts – including Gillette Stadium in Foxborough – but meals are also being delivered to veterans, military families and veteran service organizations, helping to meet the needs in other New England states.
On Monday, May 4, a New England Patriots truck will arrive at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, located at 221 Daniel Webster Highway in Merrimack, N. H. From 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., veterans, military families and veteran service organizations will be able to pick up these vital food packages at this location.
Two days later, on Wednesday, May 6, that same Patriots truck will make its way to the Cross Insurance Center, located at 515 Main Street in Bangor, Maine. Meals will be available for pick up from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. that day. All pickups must be scheduled in advance by visiting the links below:
Monday, May 4 – Anheuser-Busch Brewery – Schedule Pick Up
Wednesday, May 6 – Cross Insurance Center – Schedule Pick Up
Volunteers, including those representing Anheuser-Busch and Cross Insurance, will be on-site to assist with the distribution at each location. All aspects of this operation will be compliant with the Center for Disease Control’s policies and will emphasize social distancing.
“These are unprecedented times, and we must do all we can to meet the immediate needs of our veterans and their families,” said USA Veterans and Military Support Foundation’s founder and CEO Don Cox. “Veterans with injuries and service-connected disabilities are our nation’s most susceptible and are at greatest risk today. Many are coping with a weakened immune systems, increased isolation and financial hardship. We do all we can to help these veterans and their families through these immensely challenging times and thank all of our partners whose assistance match our commitment to provide five million meals to veterans in need throughout New England.”
MASS MILITARY SUPPORT FOUNDATION RECEIVES A THREE-YEAR COMMITMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT JOBS4VETS PROGRAM FOR HOMELESS VETERANS
August, 2020
Joint Base, Cape Cod - The Massachusetts Military Support Foundation has received funding from the Department of Labor for its Homeless Veterans Reintegration program. Funding will be used to provide services to reintegrate homeless veterans into meaningful employment and work to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that address the complex problems facing homeless veterans.
The MMSF is looking forward to expanding its job training capacity into a new, formalized program - Jobs4ourVets. MMSF will be able to offer homeless Veterans enhanced services such as career planning, comprehensive employment assessments, resume writing and job placement services.
MMSF has been committed to serving homeless Veterans in Massachusetts and beyond through its other programs - Food4Vets and Coats4Vets. This funding will support deeper connections with this population as the organization will be able to have trained, dedicated staff to manage all aspects of the Jobs4ourVets program.
Massachusetts Military Support Foundation is open to serve 383,000 Veterans and active-duty Military, and their families, who live in the Commonwealth. MMSF operates Veteran-focused Empowerment Centers on Joint Base Cape Cod and Agawam, which are open daily and provide much needed food, personal hygiene products, and many other life essentials for families, including baby items. These Centers also provide and/or connect clients to services like health care, mental health and substance abuse counseling, and job training, etc., and are proven to be a critical support mechanism to Veterans (and active-duty Military) that help keep them tied to their communities.
FOOD4VETS DISTRIBUTES 1 MILLIONTH MEAL!
April 20, 2020
For the past three weeks, veterans, military families and veteran service organizations have been picking up “vital food packages” at Gillette Stadium thanks to a partnership with the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation (MMSF). On Monday, April 20, the project packaged up their one millionth meal for distribution.
Click here to watch the video!
PATRIOTS TRUCK DELIVERS 84,000 MEALS TO THE CITY OF CHELSEA
May 9, 2020
Over the weekend, the Kraft family and the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation continued their efforts to support veterans and the communities most impacted by the coronavirus. On Friday, Gillette Stadium hosted a “Soup-R Bowl” and on Saturday, the Patriots truck delivered meals to the City of Chelsea. These events were made possible by the Food4Vets program, the Patriots and Revolution foundations and with the generous support of Blount Foods, the Greater Boston Food Bank, Ocean State Job Lot, Penske Truck, Sysco and Westminster Crackers.
Click here to watch the video!